Jodie Whittaker's final outing as the Doctor is set to occur on Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, which is set to release in October. With Ncuti Gatwa ready to fill the role after regeneration, fans have had mixed reactions. After all, while some are ready to see Gatwa's take, others still feel that there's more to see of Whittaker.
But the fanbase has always been one that's been happy to fight amongst itself over issues in regeneration, the powers of Time Lords, and the logic of the TARDIS. It's why there have been so many memes made about the Doctor Who fandom over the years that have summed it up perfectly.
Always Ready For Team-Up
via Tumblr
While events occur regularly throughout the new era, the fandom is always extraordinarily excited to see some of the most overlooked Doctor Who companions return to the show. In "The Stolen Earth," the viewers absolutely loved seeing Martha, Rose, and Donna meet as all three women had proven to be significant parts of Ten's life.
Given that most Doctor Who fans start off their tenure with the show as children, there's also a nostalgia factor. Each fan is typically introduced to the companions at a young age, so they easily form attachments to the characters and show. It makes the show a beloved fixture in the lives of fans, as it has been all their lives.
Often Infighting
While there's always been some conflict between fans of the Steven Moffat era and the Russell T. Davies era, that infighting has only grown more pronounced during Chris Chibnall's time as the showrunner for the 13th Doctor. While the larger fandom has absolutely rejected Chibnall, there are some loyal fans who enjoy it.
After all, no matter what happens in the show, fans tend to be happy to protest. While Chibnall may have severely retconned the Doctor's origin by making her the first regenerating Time Lord and by adding a long history before the First Doctor, he was hardly the first to severely change things. Even Davies destroyed Gallifrey.
Audio And TV Fans
There are several categories of Doctor Who fans, often based on if they enjoy the new era of Doctor Who, the classic, or audio dramas. The audio fans happen to have an incredibly vast field of content to sift through, which often leaves fans stunned and cracking jokes among themselves.
After all, in the "A Death in the Family" audio, fans were stunned when a villain named Nobody No-One actually managed to kill the Seventh Doctor, before his companions revived him. Given that Nobody was one of the most evil villains in Doctor Who, fans have been making jokes about him for years. It goes to show that even die-hard fans won't understand everything about Doctor Who. There's just too much content.
Baseless Speculation
Because Doctor Who often delves into mystery, it isn't uncommon for fans to speculate about each thread dropped. Ever since the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan, left the TARDIS, spans have been frantically trying to uncover if every mysterious female character happens to be her regeneration.
Of course, over the years that speculation has only increased. Other mysterious regenerating characters or love interests have been introduced, so newer fans who are unfamiliar with Susan have shifted towards accusations of being River Song or Romana. It's a never-ending cycle and one that perfectly characterizes Doctor Who fans.
Companion Fights
The Doctor's companions tend to go through a lot, and some are severely unappreciated by the Doctor and fans alike. While Martha was an excellent companion, she tends to be easily overshadowed by Rose, who was a major influence on both the Ninth and Tenth Doctors.
Even Martha often acknowledged it, and it's why she left her companionship in the first place. Of course, given that it's been addressed in-universe, fans have found a renewed purpose in arguing for or against Rose or Martha. It just goes to show how much of the fanbase still loves the Davies era.
Classic And Modern Split
Like the split between audio fans and TV fans, there's a major separation between fans of Classic Doctor Who and New Who. Many of the best doctors were from the classic series, prior to the Davies revival. The show was also remarkably different before the new millennia.
After all, while the Doctor tends to have love interests in newer series, Classic Doctor Who uses them sparingly. It also features periods without the TARDIS, time travel, and even without visits to Earth. It's led to a significant separation between fans and very different expectations for newer seasons.
Usually Hate Recent Seasons
Of course, no matter who happens to be at the helm, Doctor Who fans are rarely happy in the moment. Though they can look back and acknowledge a season's brilliance once it's done, in the moment they tend to just despise whatever it is the showrunner has planned.
Given how many retcons and changes to the show's structure have been made through the years, it's hard not to protest as soon as something goes wrong. But with expectations so high and the show so popular, it's inevitable that newer seasons will earn some hate, while nostalgia protects older ones.
Know So Much Lore
With decades of content behind it and numerous books, audio dramas, and even a movie, Doctor Who is a show that is hard to fully comprehend. Some content even includes elements that contradict others, like older New Who content insisting that the Eighth Doctor regenerated into the Ninth.
With so much history behind the show, it's hard to keep every element straight, so most fans don't even bother. While they may watch some of the best Classic Doctor Who episodes, they don't go any further than that. After all, there's just too much content to go through.
Do It Themselves
Even when the BBC isn't producing new episodes of the series, fans have a tendency to get their Doctor Who fix anyway. Many do it by seeking out fan content or creating it themselves. After all, it isn't hard to argue that the entire new era is essentially BBC-sponsored fan content with a higher-than-average budget.
Though there's already mountains of content to sift through, the fan content makes it nearly impossible to view it all. Still, many fans still manage and do an extraordinary job of creating their own Doctor Who productions. It goes to show just how dedicated these fans can be and how much they love the series.